Outshined_One

Dude, he's hitting .318! Oh, wait, no...that's his OBP that and huston street absoultely has to win this award. Jonny Gomes says hi: .282/.373/.535/.908, 61 R, 21 HR, and 54 RBI in 344 ABs.

His ERA with the Cubs has been pretty nice, too. Everyone knows that he was out of shape coming into the season and still isn't at his best in terms of being healthy, but he's done quite well with the Cubs and could make a nice addition to any rotation. If he could be better down the road, teams might have plenty of interest in his services. With the Cubs' perceived glut of potential starters, Williams might be expendable if he can help land the Cubs some one to either really bolster the offense or the starting rotation.

I'm curious as to what Jerome Williams' trade value will look like in the offseason. Considering his age, stuff, and experience, I'd have to think that he might be quite helpful for the Cubs in acquiring a big name in a trade.

Eh, he'd be justified in moving Dempster to a setup role if he acquired a comparable or better closer in the offseason. I don't think anyone would be mad about that.

Can't be sending out the forfeit lineups, dude. Philly wouldn't like us for that and I think that Jim Thome cat is alright.

Bama is up 14-0 already. Sheesh. Also, in a fun moment, CBS showed a, "Florida QB Pass Attempts Without an INT" graphic, with Chris Leak in third place. Of course, the moment they show that graphic, Leak is picked off.

What, no posts on the insanity that has been Michigan/MSU? :shock:

Stop and imagine for a moment what a zoo this team would turn into with Milton Bradley on a Dusty Baker team. Nice idea and all, but I would not be in favor of it.

I know, hence the FO comment.

Welcome aboard!

I'm cautiously optimistic about this one. This has the makings of a classic "Letdown after a huge emotional win" game and Indiana is unbeaten, as strange as it sounds. John Stocco makes me nervous at QB, to boot. Then again, this offensive line is a surprising step up from previous years and Brian Calhoun has been jaw-droppingly good.

Huff, Crawford, Baldelli, or Gathright would be traded long before Gomes. Really? I know that Gomes didn't have the greatest of relationships with Uncle Lou (don't know if the front office felt the same or not, though) and he seems to be the odd man out among the young kids who will be in that OF. Huff will likely be traded, but there's still the fact that they have a bunch of OFs in their system who will be banging down the door in the next year or so. Then again, if Gomes wins ALROY, he might not be going much of anywhere...

Does anyone know if Tampa is going to trade Jonny Gomes since they have a surplus of outfielders?

1. Andy LaRoche, 3b, Vero Beach 5. Matt Kemp, of, Vero Beach 8. Justin Orenduff, rhp, Vero Beach 11. Tony Abreu, 2b, Vero Beach 12. Chin-Lung Hu, ss, Vero Beach 17. Chuck Tiffany, lhp, Vero Beach Um...yeah. Then there's Jacksonville, which might have Chad Billingsley, Joel Guzman, James Loney, Russell Martin, and Jonathan Broxton qualify for the SL Top 20. If their ownership is willing to increase the budget this offseason, they're a team that seriously worries me in the trade market. They could legitimately afford to bring in pretty much any player in baseball (namely Adam Dunn) with their prospects.

Yep. They've got young upside on offense and a decent bullpen. All they need is a veteran leader in the rotation and they'll be ready to compete next year.

1. Andy LaRoche, 3b, Vero Beach 5. Matt Kemp, of, Vero Beach 8. Justin Orenduff, rhp, Vero Beach 11. Tony Abreu, 2b, Vero Beach 12. Chin-Lung Hu, ss, Vero Beach 17. Chuck Tiffany, lhp, Vero Beach Um...yeah.

Dope has more upside than moore but i think the probabilty of moore being more successful in the majors is better. Dopes year was just horrible. They are the same age and moore had a much better year than dope. Moore improved a lot this year while dope regressed a lot. I know moore repeated but again i go to they are the same age. Top prospects dont put up numbers dope just did this year and regress that much. Scott Moore last year at Lakeland last year: .223/.322/.384 Better OBP than Dopirak this year, but a worse AVG and SLG than Dopirak. Moore put up outstanding numbers in the Gulf Coast League (Rk), so you can make the case that he pretty much regressed from those numbers.

Same as last time, BA has it on their site, but not officially posted: Link D-Cubs on the list: #15 - Scott Moore #18 - Brian Dopirak Notes on each: Scott Moore -Has adjusted himself at the plate to stop pulling the ball and has been using all fields more effectively and cutting down on his strikeouts. He still has some kinks to work out of his swing, however. -He showed good baserunning instincts despite having average speed. -His range was decent at 3rd, but his arm is still an asset. He tired as the season went on, however, and had troubles throwing the ball accurately. Brian Dopirak -Despite his plunge in numbers, is still is a legit prospect. -He is undeniably strong with power to all fields. -As we saw in the Dopirak chat, he tried to over-do everything and just put too much pressure on himself at the plate. This got him frustrated and did not help his cause in adjusting to outside breaking balls. -Defensively, he is still below average, but he could be average if he continues to focus on his defense.

Is he also shutting down the starting rotation to give them a break?

This article is a decidedly bizarre read. On one hand, it is rather noble to see a guy go out there and sacrifice his very livelihood knowing quite well that he was hurting himself in the process. Granted, it didn't seem like anyone knew quite what was wrong with him until it was too late and things might have been different if they had known. But seeing a guy willing to go out there, throw his arm off, and basically put it all on the line is inspiring...in some ways. On the other hand, he's an idiot and his coaches were tools for not seeing that he only had so many bullets in the gun, so to speak. If everyone knew Nen was in pain and they knew he was decreasing in effectiveness, why didn't Dusty limit Nen's appearances down the stretch? Why didn't Sabean make a run at one of the available relievers to take the stress off? Yeah, they were in the middle of a race, but if you make it to the playoffs, you need your guys healthy and ready to go. When it mattered, it bit them in the worst way because Nen pitched one game too many. This is why Dusty and his band of merry men can't be trusted with pitchers. Nen is not a unique case in any way, shape or form. When it comes down to it, these guys want to go all out and win at all costs, even if it costs them their arms. They would pitch every day if they had the choice. It's the responsibility of the coaches and trainers to give these guys a break when they need it and to use them accordingly. Dusty and his crew either willfully ignored Nen's problems or, worse, they didn't even notice it. Considering what happened to Chad Fox, your guess is as good as mine.

The thing is, despite that Bank One tie-in, you don't hear people talk about it at all. They're never called, "Bank One Presents the Chicago Bears" during games, on highlight shows, or anything like that. It's decidedly bizarre, imo.

And now that they have the scouting reports posted, I'll give a quick summary of the BA report on each. Ryan Harvey -Second highest ceiling among MWL positional prospects. -Best attributes are his raw power, arm, and above average speed. -Still filling out. -Main problem is in his approach at the plate (long swing). Good fastballs and breaking balls fool him. Sean Gallagher -Everyone loves his intelligence, presence, and command on the mound. -Best curveball in the league, with good movement and placement. -Fastball (works at 88-90) and change are both seen as average at best. -Has pretty much filled out his frame, so the addition of velocity is unlikely. Eric Patterson -Old for the league, but still was good enough to make an impression. -Opinions differed on him: some saw him as a complete hitter with a nice upside, others worry he might end up like his brother Corey since they have some of the same flaws at the plate (contact, long swing, swings for the fences too much, etc). -Decent power and good speed. -Still has a ways to go at 2B defensively, but is athletic enough to make the most of it.

It's technically not out yet, but it's on the BA website. Link Peoria Chiefs who made it: #7 - Ryan Harvey #15 - Sean Gallagher #16 - Eric Patterson

Remember kids: Never trust a good looking man with a moustache.

Donald Veal comes in at #2 and Mark Reed comes in at #20. Link